Handling Conflicts of Interest

On September 6, HUD’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) published a bulletin titled “7 Keys to Handling Conflicts of Interest.” Conflicts occur when “officials or staff stand to benefit–either directly themselves or indirectly through business partners or relatives–from the awarding or contracting of grant funds.” The bulletin lists points to remember when handling conflicts of interest:

1. Know the Requirements;
2. Train Employees;
3. Create Procedures to Document Compliance;
4. Implement the Regulations;
5. Know the Consequences;
6. Request an Exception; and
7. Get Help.

The full bulletin, with examples, can be found here.